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Chinese Orange Chicken made with crispy fried chicken covered in an authentic orange sauce. The ultimate Chinese Orange Chicken Recipe which is way better than take-out.
My kids are always begging me to take them to grab Chinese food. They are obsessed with orange chicken but I am never really sure what’s in it….especially if they get it from a drive-thru. I wanted to create a version at home, made from scratch, with all-natural ingredients. It still has the same incredible flavor they love. It’s definitely a win-win in our home.
It is wintertime in Arizona which means that the citrus is ripe for the picking. I am surrounded by neighbors who have a plethora of fresh oranges and lemons hanging from their trees. This is the perfect time of year to whip up orange and lemon dishes especially this Chinese Orange Chicken.
This Chinese Orange Chicken is made with boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces, dredged, and then fried until golden and crispy. The orange sauce is divine! It is a sweet orange sauce made with orange juice, vinegar, garlic, sugar, soy sauce, ginger, red chili flakes, and orange zest. It is both sweet and spicy and full of flavor.
How to make Chinese Orange Chicken at home:
- Start with boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs. Cut into bite-size pieces. Dredge the chicken in whisked eggs and cornstarch/flour mixture until nice and coated. Get these chicken pieces ready for the oil.
- To make your homemade orange sauce, place orange juice, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and red chili flakes in a small pot and cook over medium-high heat. Add cornstarch and water and cook until thickened. Stir in orange zest.
- Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. When frying foods, it is so helpful to use a thermometer. Let the oil heat up to 350 degrees. Once the oil is ready, in batches, cook chicken for about 2 minutes until light golden brown. Repeat with remaining chicken.
- Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Toss fried chicken with the sweet orange sauce. Top with grated orange zest and green onions. Serve immediately.
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Chinese Orange Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts cut into bite-size pieces
- 3 Eggs whisked
- 1/3 cup Cornstarch
- 1/3 cup Flour
- Salt
- Oil for frying
Orange Chicken Sauce:
- 1 cup Orange Juice
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar or White Vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce use tamari for a gluten-free dish
- 1/4 teaspoon Ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder or 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
- 1/2 teaspoon Red Chili Flakes
- Orange Zest from 1 orange
- 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
Garnish:
- Green Onions
- Orange Zest
Instructions
- To make orange sauce:
- In a medium pot, add orange juice, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and red chili flakes. Heat for 3 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 Tablespoons of water to form a paste. Add to orange sauce and whisk together. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken. Once the sauce is thickened, remove from heat and add orange zest.
- To make chicken:
- Place flour and cornstarch in a shallow dish or pie plate. Add a generous pinch of salt. Stir.
- Whisk eggs in shallow dish.
- Dip chicken pieces in egg mixture and then flour mixture. Place on plate.
- Heat 2 -3 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Using a thermometer, watch for it to reach 350 degrees.
- Working in batches, cook several chicken pieces at a time. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes, turning often until golden brown. Place chicken on a paper-towel-lined plate. Repeat.
- Toss chicken with orange sauce. You may reserve some of the sauce to place on rice. Serve it with a sprinkling of green onion and orange zest, if so desired.
Video
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This Orange Chicken is going to make you forget take-out. Let me know how it turns out by reaching out on instagram at @modern_honey. Have a great night, my friends!
Wonderful quick recipe that was easy to make, my wife and I were very satisfied!
This was a yummy and easy dish. I subbed milk for the egg wash and whole wheat flour for corn starch and it came out nice and light. I just served it over green beans and poured the sauce over… it was a filling meal even without rice.
A bit more time to prep than indicated but the final product was DELICIOUS! I will definitely be making this again
This is one of the best recipes for Orange Chicken I have come across. It is extremely well written, easy to follow.. I will definitely make it again soon.
I have an egg and chicken allergy so Chinese food for takeout is not possible. But my allergy was not discovered until later in life so I know what I’m missing 🙁 I have tried many recipes to try to enjoy Chinese food again and this is the best!!! A much MUCH better flavor than any bottle sauce. I used pork instead of chicken and buttermilk thinned plain yogurt instead of egg (very little, just enough to stick the flour on the pork) because of my allergy. Still an excellent recipe!
We made this tonight, it is fantastic!
I made this tonight for my husband and me. It was delicious! We’re used to the Trader Joes and other frozen meals. I liked how simple and tasty this was. The chicken along with the half flour half corn starch gave a nice coating to the chicken and didn’t feel as heavy as the coating found with frozen prepared meals. I will definitely make this again!
This recipe is AMAZING!! I have been using this recipe for YEARS and it has not disappointed. It is so delicious and so easy to make. In fact I’m making it for dinner tonight!!! Thank you for this incredibly easy and delicious recipe.
Could the chicken be cooked in an air fryer instead of hot oil on the stove?
Loved the sauce. I tried 2 different recipes and they don’t compare. Yours is the best. I’m going to be making a double batch. I used mine like your chicken & I also made chkn tenders and used your sauce recipe. It’s hard to stop bragging about your recipe, if I could I would give you 100+ stars for it. Thank you for sharing.
Yes, we don’t fry much in our house hold and the air fryer definitely works for frying chicken pieces. Depending on the size of your air fryer it can take a little bit of time to cook all of it. So if more than one person is eating it, keep it warm in the oven.